Firefighter- and Fire Department–Level Barriers and Promoters of Physical Activity and Fitness Among Volunteer Firefighters
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To describe volunteer firefighters' perspectives on how firefighter- and fire department-level factors influence their physical activity and fitness. METHODS: Firefighters (n = 28) were interviewed, stratified by their years of firefighting, using an interview guide. Thematic analysis and systematic coding were used to analyze the interview transcripts. RESULTS: Five themes were identified: (1) health and firefighting performance, (2) firefighter time and availability, (3) responsibility of the fire department to support volunteer members' physical fitness, (4) fire training drills as a form of functional physical activity, and (5) fitness initiatives at the department. Interviewing by years of experience showed varied perspectives that converged toward similar conclusions. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating fitness discussions into department meetings and trainings and identifying fitness advocates within the department may contribute to overcoming barriers to physical fitness among volunteer firefighters.
Language: English
Subfield: Occupational Therapy
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funders: Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
OpenAlex ID: W4402273783